With the arrival of the first field sprints of the 2012 Tour de France, it’s a good time to take a look at the best sprinters in this year’s race. Let's grade their chances to win stages and take home the green jersey awarded to the Tour’s most consistent finisher.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale)Stages: A+/Green Jersey: A
Leadout Man: Daniel Oss
Sagan won Sunday’s Stage 1 after a cunning sprint in which he covered Fabian Cancellara’s attack, sat glued to the superstar’s wheel, then waited for the last moment to sprint to victory. More of an all-rounder than a pure, power sprinter, Sagan is perfectly suited to win stages with a more difficult finale—like Sunday’s Stage 1 and Tuesday’s Stage 3. As someone who can handle himself better than most sprinters in the hills and will likely finish the three-week Grand Tour, he’s also a good bet to win his first green jersey.

Mark Cavendish (Sky Pro Cycling)Stages: A+/Green Jersey: B
Leadout Man: Bernhard Eisel
Sky’s Cavendish won his 21st Tour de France stage on Monday, a feat made all the more impressive because the Manx Missile now rides for a team more concerned with winning the yellow jersey than helping him win field sprints. That said, Cav’s experience and finishing speed make him tough to beat, as he’s able to take advantage of the organization of other squads. But don’t expect to see Cavendish defending his 2011 green jersey title; he’s admitted that he is at the Tour to win stages, prepare for the Olympics, and do what he can to help teammate Bradley Wiggins win the race overall.

Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)Stages: A-/Green Jersey: C
Leadout Man: Greg Henderson
Lotto’s Andre Greipel won his first Tour de France stage last year after spending a few seasons in the shadow of Cavendish at Team HTC-Highroad. This year, the German “Gorilla” leads a sprint squad made all the more powerful by the addition of New Zealand’s Greg Henderson. While the team is looking to Jurgen Van Den Broeck in the mountains, Greipel is the focus of the team’s first-week strategy.

Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano)Stages: B+/Green Jersey: D
Leadout Man: Tom Veelers
Since the beginning of 2011, Argos-Shimano’s Marcel Kittel has won 24 races—an impressive haul for the young German. And while he lacks the Grand Tour experience of men like Cavendish and Greipel, his stage victory in last year’s Tour of Spain showed he has the talent to contend in the world’s biggest races. That said, don’t expect him to finish this year’s Tour de France—the mountains are likely to be too much for him.

Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge)Stages: B+/Green Jersey: A-
Leadout Man: Brett Lancaster
Another former teammate of Mark Cavendish, Goss has won stages at the Tours of Italy and Spain but still seeks his first win at the Tour de France. His Orica-GreenEdge team has been well organized at the Tour so far. Goss will attempt to grab a stage win while staying in play for the green jersey by contesting the intermediate sprint during each stage.

José Joaquin Rojas (Movistar)Stages: B/Green Jersey: A-
Leadout Man: Jose Ivan Gutierrez
Rojas failed to win a stage last year but still finished the Tour as runner-up to Mark Cavendish in the sprint-jersey standings. Like Sagan, Rojas is more of an all-rounder who can certainly last through the mountains, making him an ideal candidate to challenge for sprint points in the final week of the race and therefore the green jersey.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp)Stages: B/Green Jersey: C
Leadout Man: Robbie Hunter
After winning his first Tour de France stage last year, Farrar comes to the 2012 Tour de France still looking for a win as he spent the first part of his season focusing on improving his endurance for the spring Classics. But with a roster packed with GC contenders, Garmin-Sharp seems unwilling to spend much energy in helping the American score stage wins.

Mark Renshaw (Rabobank )Stages: B-/Green Jersey: B
Leadout Man: Maarten Wynants
Mark Renshaw was known as more of a leadout man while riding for Cavendish at Team HTC-Highroad. While the Australian has only one victory while riding for himself at Rabobank this season, he has been in the thick of the action so far at the Tour de France and could become a green jersey contender as the race progresses and other sprinters drop out in the mountains.

Oscar Freire (Katusha)Stages: B-/Green Jersey: C
Leadout Man: Luca Paolini
Throughout his long career, Spain’s Oscar Freire has won four stages at the Tour de France and the green jersey in 2008. But Freire seems to have a lost a step compared to younger men like Cavendish and Greipel and his team is not as strong as some of the others in this year’s Tour. Nevertheless, the three-time world champion has knack for winning races after everyone has started counting him out.

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD)Stages: C/C
Leadout Man: Danilo Hondo
At 38 years old, Petacchi’s best days might be behind him. Then again, the Italian surprised everyone two years ago when he won two stages and the green jersey at the 2010 Tour de France. He recently won three stages and the green jersey at a German stage race, and has an experienced team supporting him in his bid for a win or two at the Tour.